HOMEBREW Digest #2037 Wed 15 May 1996
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FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Janitor
Contents:
First Wort Hopping (Fred Brende)
Infected brews... ("Bessette, Bob")
Gambrinus Malt (Steve Alexander)
DME versus LME/Wyeast #3056/thermostats and SCRs/Iodophor storage (Algis R Korzonas)
Rye from Wrong (Jeff Handley & Gene Almquist)
FWH Data Point, Boil Over (Neal Christensen)
Extract Brewing & Water Treatment (KennyEddy)
Re: Grain Mill Adjustability (Chris Strickland)
Thanks: Denver Info (TArnott)
Stuck Sparge (Jack Schmidling)
Brewing with Rye (George De Piro)
BUZZ Boneyard Brewoff - July 20, 1996 (Joe Formanek)
("Dave Higdon")
Arfs Back, Tanned, Rested and Ready! (Jim Busch)
Brewer's Workshop Software (Dean Larson)
Malt Mills (somebody stop me!) (Russell Mast)
Jack's back (LaBorde, Ronald)
Jack's WARNING!/Slugbrew ;^)/TSP/starters/Corona mills/Ale temps (Algis R Korzonas)
Temp Controller (Robin S. Broyles)
Finings in repitched yeast (Steve Waddell)
notes on a homemade mill. (WESLEY)
Job Posting (David Ellis)
Grain Mills, Skewed Brains (Todd Mansfield)
A simple recipe if you please. (STANSBERRYJ)
Job Posting (David Ellis)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 17:00:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: fbrende at cris.com (Fred Brende)
Subject: First Wort Hopping
I was looking through some old posts on first wort hopping, in particular
those posted by Jim Dipalma and John Palmer. I understand the concept, but
there is one thing that confuses me: if the hops are placed in the kettle
during the sparge, which is prior to the boiling, how come the aroma is not
boiled off during the boil (like bittering hops) or scrubbed off during
fermentation (which is why you dry hop in the secondary).
TIA
Freddy
Beer is an improvement on water itself.
-Grant Johnson
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 May 96 14:23:00 PDT
From: "Bessette, Bob" <bob.bessette at lamrc.com>
Subject: Infected brews...
Fellow Brewers,
I have had 3 infected brews in a row and never had a problem with 20
previous batches. The symptoms are small stringy white stuff on the top of
the bottle, gushing of the brew after opened, and a distinct off-flavor in
the brew. I am hoping that I have narrowed down what the problem is. I had
purchased 2 Hop-Tech bags of E.Kent Goldings hop flowers. I have used these
only for dry hopping. Upon opening the first bag they suggest to put the
hops into mason jars and put them in the freezer. I did not have a problem
with the first couple of batches but I think after the length of time of
being in the freezer some bacteria got into the hops. The reason I think
that the problem is due to the dry hopping is because the beer smells
excellent after the primary fermentation. Toward the end of the secondary
fermentation with dry hopping I start to see this whitish material on top of
the brew. Then this is perpetuated into the bottle or keg.
I just brewed on Saturday and I am going to leave out the dry hopping and
see what happens. If this appears to be the problem I will probably go back
to using pellets. Does anyone else have a similar experience with these
symptoms. The beer itself is very clear but this stringy white stuff is at
the top of the bottle. It is very depressing to have this happen after every
other beer I have made has tasted outstanding to me, especially since the
move to all-grain. I would love to hear the collective wisdom on this one.
Please email me directly at bob.bessette at lamrc.com and I will keep you
updated on my experiment with leaving out the dry hopping.
Cheers,
Bob Bessette
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Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 17:35:30 -0400
From: Steve Alexander <stevea at clv.mcd.mot.com>
Subject: Gambrinus Malt
I received several replies to my query about malts from the Canadian
maltster Gambrinus. All respondents were very happy with the Honey
(Brumalt) describing it as malty and sweet. The Munich drew neutral
(similar to other Munich malts) to quite positive reviews.
Sources - no affiliation, I'm NOT EVEN a customer of these sources!
Some of this info is second hand from customer/respondents so I make
no claims as to accuracy (and apologies to the vendors if I
mis-identiy you). Sources are identified from info in all responses,
in order of first occurrance. My personal approach is to attempt to
get HB supplies from sources I have experience with, but if you,
like me, can't find a Gambrinus malt source you may want to
evaluate these ... (is that enough of a disclaimer?)
Culver City Home Brewing Supply Co.
(Fred Waltman waltman at netcom.com)
carries: Pale, Wheat, Honey, Munich 90 and Munich 100
does not yet have the ESB Malt
http://www.homebrew.inter.net
800-392-7394 or 310-397-3453.
HopTech in Pleasanton, CA
http://www.hoptech.com
1-800-DRY-HOPS
Brewers Resource in Camarillo, CA
carries Honey malt, possibly others ??
Jim's Homebrew (Spokane,WA)
carries honey malt, possibly no other Gambrinus malts.
Steve Alexander
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 May 96 15:18:22 CDT
From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas)
Subject: DME versus LME/Wyeast #3056/thermostats and SCRs/Iodophor storage
JB writes:
>I have a question for the group....I notice that most extract recipes call
>for both Dry Malt Extract(DME) and Liquid Malt Extract (LME). I buy LME
>from the bulk drums at my homebrew supply store, meaning I weigh out the
>amount of syrup I need for a recipe rather than buying 3.3 lb cans. I
>don't usually add DME because I buy the amount of extract I need in liquid
>form. My question is, am I missing some qualities of DME by only using
>LME? I am wondering if DME is 'better' to use for some reason, of if I
>should at least include a pound or two in each batch, or if it just
>doesn't matter.
When I do brew extract batches (still about 25% of my batches are extract
and 75% all-grain) I do use DME (dried malt extract, a.k.a. Spray Malt).
Although the lower moisture content of DME means that it will age and
darken slower than LME (liquid malt extract, a.k.a. malt extract syrup),
as long as both are fresh, it should not make much of a difference which
you use. Note that since most LMEs are 80% solids and most DMEs are 97%
solids, you need about 22% more liquid extract when substituting for
dry. Conversely, if you use dry, you only need about 82% as much when
substituting for liquid.
Why do I use both DME and syrup? Because it is much easier to store a
partially used package of DME. If I need 7.2 pounds of syrup, I will
use two 3.3 pound cans and 1/2 pound of DME (0.6 pounds times 0.82).
If you can buy 7.2 pounds of syrup or brew so often that you can handle
a half-used can or bag of syrup for a week in the fridge, then use all
syrup!
There was a post which suggested that there is some kind of association
with "paler color and not as strong a taste" and LME. I disagree. In
terms of strength of flavour, there is no more variation between DME and
LME as there is between various manufacturers extracts (i.e. not much).
When it comes to lightness of colour, Extra Pale DME makes some of the
palest extract beers. Old LME is notorious for making dark beers even
if you do use something labeled "gold" or "pale."
***
Steve writes (quoting Patrick's FAQ):
>>Wyeast 3056 Bavarian Weissen Yeast
>> A 50/50 blend of S. cerevisiae and delbrueckii to produce a south German
>> style wheat beer...
>With the delbrueckii
>component it's pretty clear that this is intended for Berliner weisse.
You are confusing S. delbrueckii with L. delbrueckii. The former is
a yeast and the latter a lactic bacteria. They were both isolated by
Mr. Delbrueck (Hans?), which is why they bear his name.
Wyeast #3056 is NOT a good yeast for a Berliner Weissbier. You need to
use a clean ale yeast like Wyeast #1007 or #1056 along with a lactic
acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus delbrueckii.
***
Jamie writes:
>If you want to use the normal household thermostat that runs on 24VDC, you
>can get a solid state control relay (SCR) It's basically a solid state switch
<snip>
>run about $15-30. That and a transformer to power the 24VDC and you are
>all set.
Wouldn't a electomechanical relay be far less expensive than $15-30? Just
make sure to put it outside of your fridge so that condensation doesn't ruin
it.
***
C.D. writes:
>One gallon *glass* jugs should be fine as long as you
>remember to cap them- air renders the Iodophor solution ineffective. If you
>use a rubber stopper for capping, the vapors from the solution will corrode
>the bottom of the stopper. It won't ruin it- it'll just look like crap.
>Don't use a plastic jug for long term storage- in a capped polyethlene jug,
>mine lost much of it's color in a week.
It's not air that ruins Iodophor, per se... it's the iodine in the Iodophor
that evaporates. I store it in a sealed Corny keg and in a sealed,
gasketted-lid HDPE 7-gallon bucket. I have to remember to shake them a little
before opening since the iodine seems to condense on the "ceiling" of the
vessels and shaking before opening redissolves it. It lasts basically forever
in the Corny and certainly a month or more in the HDPE. It does stain the
HDPE, but I have designated this bucket just for Iodophor and so I don't
worry about the orange staining.
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz at pubs.att.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 15:48:01 -0700
From: homebrew at infomagic.com (Jeff Handley & Gene Almquist)
Subject: Rye from Wrong
I recently brewed this very tasty Rye Beer which I think beats the heck out
of Red Hook's Rye beer. The recipe follows single infusion mashing
techniques used in a 10 gallon Gott Cooler. The results were a somewhat
cloudy light & hoppy summer brew that I really reccomend to anyone who wants
a little Rye in their lives. Recipe:
8# Belgian Pale Malt
4# Rye Malt (Not flaked)
2oz Cascade leaf 60min.
Hallertauer leaf 1oz. 30 min.
Hallertauer leaf 1oz. 2 min.
1TBSP irish moss last 10 min.
Wyeast #1056 American Ale (Starter Reccomended)
O.G. 1.042
F.G. 1.007
Let me know if you like it. Jeff
********************************************
* Jeff Handley***outpost@ homebrewers.com *
* Homebrewers Outpost-Flagstaff, Arizona *
* http://www.homebrewers.com *
* *
* Homer: "Thanks for coming to my party. *
* Wow, you brought a whole beer keg!" *
* Barney: "Yeah. Where can I fill it up?" *
********************************************
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 17:15:00 -0600 (MDT)
From: nealc at selway.umt.edu (Neal Christensen)
Subject: FWH Data Point, Boil Over
Howdy,
I just tried my first batch of first wort hopped pilsner. I do think that
the procedure resulted in a nice hop FLAVOR profile (not bitterness, but hop
flavor). And, as I understand, the usual procedure of hopping 5 minutes
before the end of the boil is to enhance hop flavor and aroma. Well I was
having a problem with understanding how the volatile aroma hop oils could
survive a FWH schedule. IMHO, my pilsner has an improved hop flavor
profile, but lacks the aroma I was looking for. I used noble hop plugs in
the FWH and did not add any hops at the end. I'm now thinking that I will
use both FWH and a final 5-minute hop on my next pilsner. Hopefully this
will provide both a great hop flavor and aroma profile. Any thoughts on this?
For the most part, I have solved the boil-over problem on my system. I use
a converted 1/2 brl boiling pot. The trick is to vent the steam. I use the
cut off top of my mash tun keg as a lid for my boiling pot (the lid needs to
be larger diameter than the opening in the boiling pot). I removed the
valve from the lid - leaving a domed lid with an opening in the middle. To
the top of the opening I attached a dryer vent hose and connected the other
end to an exhaust fan. Turn the fan on and crank the flame! Removing the
steam allows for a rolling boil with no build-up of foam to cause a
boil-over. I got this idea from a past Brewing Techniques (last year I
think) and I'm real happy with the results. Kettle venting is a common
procedure in commercial breweries.
Neal in Missoula, MT
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 19:49:36 -0400
From: KennyEddy at aol.com
Subject: Extract Brewing & Water Treatment
Not long ago Gregory King sent me a copy of this letter he received in
response to his question about water treatment in the manufacture of malt
extract:
==============================
Dear Mr King
Thank you for your letter of the 18th April 1996 regarding ion
concentrations.
Firstly, the water we use for the manufacture of malt extract is primarily
recovered condensate from malt extract concentration by evaporation.
Any deficiency is made up using natural water which we extract from deep bore
holes on our site at Stowmarket.
We are sited in a particularly hard water area but this make up water only
constitutes a small part of the water used in manufacture.
I can, however, provide you with typical analyses of the cations present in
our
malt extracts:-
Calcium 250 mgs/litre
Magnesium 550 mgs/litre
Sodium 400 mgs/litre
Potassium 6000 mgs/litre
We do not analyse for any anions, nor do we routinely analyse our bore hole
water. However, most of the above originate from the barley.
The wort pH prior to concentration is between 5.4 and 5.8.
Yours sincerely
G B Ellam
Group Chief Chemist
Muntons p.l.c.
Cedars Maltings
Stowmarket Suffolk IP14 2AG
==============================
In other words, they basically use "distilled" water! An interesting result
is the pre-concentration pH -- 5.4 to 5.8 -- which is higher than the ~5.0 to
5.4 range we typically shoot for. The lack of additional calcium might be
preventing further acidification (although there is some leftover!?); sources
I have seen (Pappazzian? I forget which) indicate that adding distilled water
to plain pale grain results in pH's in the "high-five's". Perhaps the small
amount of hard makeup water they use has sufficient calcium to bring them
into a suitable range.
As far as the "untested cations" go, I'm just guessing here but I'd say the
malt would not contain any appreciable SO4- or Cl- anyway; so the above
analysis should be complete as far as ions relevent to brewing go. Anyone
care to elaborate?
Since they start with essentially "ion-free" water, the ions they are listing
above, as they state, come from the grain, and would therefore be present in
those ballpark quantities in all our worts made with ion-free water, whether
extract or all-grain. Any ion concentrations we're adding with salt
treaments would end up *in addition* to these, although it's still the
original water's ionic makeup we want to watch. The exception would be Ca
since some is consumed during the mash. Note that they give concentrations
*per litre of extract*; assuming dilution in water to typical wort gravities
these reduce to around 30 ppm Ca, 40 ppm Mg, and 30 ppm Na, in very round
figures (I'm estimating pounds-to-litres conversion).
What does this mean for extract brewers and water treatment? Obviously not
all the calcium available (in the malt itself) is being used, although the pH
is still a bit high. Perhaps another 10 ppm or so (SWAG) would drop it to
the "ideal range". Other ions are not of significant consequence during the
mash, so I'd be inclined to try to duplicate those concentrations closely.
The exception would be carbonates, which for extract brewing we would
ideally want to totally eliminate anyway; try to minimize CO3 in the original
water.
Calcium contributes to the beer character in the boil (hop extraction & break
action) as well as in the mash, but I'd guess its contribution is subtle. If
this is the case, then, one could argue that you could take a given profile
and not worry too much about the calcium; let its level be set as a
consequence of other ion adjustments instead of targeting a particular
number. Since it appears that perhaps only a small amount of additional
calcium would properly acidify the extract mash, one could speculate that
just using the approximate Ca concentrations in a target profile would be
adequate, but far less than that may be suitable as well since we're now only
worried about secondary effects. This is good news since a common source of
Ca is gypsum, which carries sulphate with it. Sulphate can harshen
bitterness if used in excess. If we're having trouble establishing a profile
due to high sulphate, cutting back on gypsum would be appropriate for extract
brewers since the calcium is not as important. Epsom salt, which also
contributes sulphate, is typically used in *small* quantities to add
magnesium, so it shouldn't be as difficult to deal with as far as managing
sulphate.
As far as other manufacturers are concerned, it makes sense that they would
recycle much of their water; if so, most extracts should have similar ionic
content regardless of manufacturer.
Bottom line: If all this speculation is true, then water treatment for
extract brewers should be no different than that for grain brewers, with the
possible exception that using much lower levels of calcium than proposed in a
target profile would not have significant effect. Also, carbonate should be
avoided as well, due to its secondary effects on color and bitterness.
Ken Schwartz
KennyEddy at aol.com
Return to table of contents
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 19:56:19 -0400
From: Chris Strickland <cstrick at iu.net>
Subject: Re: Grain Mill Adjustability
>Todd Mansfield wrote in HBD 2033:
>> People who say adjustability isn't important tend to own mills with
>> fixed roller clearances.
>
>Interesting assertion.
>
>Well, I own a mill (JSP MaltMill model P) with fixed roller clearances.
>I also believe adjustability in a two roller mill is not important.
>And there *is* a causal relationship between these two statements.
>
> <snip><snip>
>Several years ago when I bought my first mill (an *adjustable*
>MaltMill) I, like Mr. Mansfield, thought that adjustability was
>important.
<snip><snip>
>The result? No difference. The consistent lautering to which I was
>accustomed remained unchanged. The very high extraction efficiency I
>get remained unchanged.
>
Well, I have an adjustable JSP MaltMill, and I just leave where the mark is
on the green line. I only thought adjustability was important when using
corn, wheat or rice. So I guess even though I have an adjustable mill, I
don't think it's important for grain.
- --------------
Chris Strickland
cstrick at iu.net
http://www.teg.saic.com/mote/people.htm (Currently Under Construction)
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Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 06:22:42 -0400
From: TArnott at aol.com
Subject: Thanks: Denver Info
Thanks to everyone who respnded to my query for information on the Denver
area beer scene. No I only hope I can remember to go to the wedding when I
get out there ;->
ted
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 08:21:38 -0500 (CDT)
From: Jack Schmidling <arf at maxx.mc.net>
Subject: Stuck Sparge
>From: blacksab at siu.edu
>The only thing that seemed to get any of the three batches unstuck
was to thin the mash with a large infusion of water which served
to thin the mash. Next time I make this recipe, I'm going to try
infusing a large quantity of water at mashout....
It seems a lot simpler just to start with more mash water, i.e. a
thinner mash.
>...and although Jack suggests allowing the mash to settle for
30-min. before sparging, I have found that a 15-min.
mashout is plenty adequate.
I agree and that is about how long I wait but when advising
others, the extra margin guarantees sucess.
> BTW, Jack, blowing on the outfeed did noting--that was the
first thing I tried! Thinning the mash was the only thing that seemed
to work.
Actually, if I listened to my own words (never a stuck sparge) I would
have realized that we were talking about two different applications.
Blowing helps when hops get stuck draining the boiler but would
probably only aggrivate problems while lautering.
>On a related note, on a HBD search of Irish Moss, I found a
posting from Jack saying that the only time he'd ever experienced
a stuck EM was when he used Irish Moss. I also use an EM in
my boiling kettle, and this has never happened to me (6 batches),
but I use whole hops and allow the trub to settle for 15-min.
before pumping the wort thru my CF wort-chiller. I suspect the
combination of a pump AND the filter-bed formed by the hops
keep the EM from clogging for me.
Good point. I don't think I was into the pump mode when I had the
problem and never tried it again.
***********************
Visit our Web page for product flyers and applications information.
http://dezines.com/ at your.service/jsp/
js
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Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 08:31:23 -0700
From: George_De_Piro at berlex.com (George De Piro)
Subject: Brewing with Rye
I just wanted to mention my rye brewing experience. I brewed a beer
with ~60% malted rye. The final product was great (it's done very
well in competitions), but I doubt that I could duplicate it.
I used a single decoction mash, with a protein rest and low
saccharification temp. In the beginning, everything seemed fine, but
as saccharification proceeded the mash began to resemble very goopy
oatmeal. By the time I was ready to sparge, it was effectively
impermeable to the sparge water! There's no hyperbole there, I mean
it was STUCK.
My solution was to use a spatula to scrape and stir the grain-goop (to
call it a grain bed would be a gross misrepresentation of its
appearance) while running the sparge water through. I collected the
extremely draff laden run-off in my boiler. I decided that to boil it
with all the husk particles would make for an unpalatably astringent
beer, so I stuck it in the refrigerator to allow the draff to settle
out.
Well, I got distracted by other stuff and it sat in there for 4 days,
by which time it had soured nicely. I was going to chuck it, but
decided,"Oh, what the hell. The hard part is done. Finish it." So I
siphoned the wort off the settled draff and boiled, etc.
Damned if the stuff wasn't good! The sourness was (miraculously) not
overwhelming. In fact, it gave the beer a complexity that many people
seem to love. Admittedly, I never intended it to taste anything like
the way it came out, but you've got to take what you can get!
If anybody still wants to try this, here's my recipe:
2.7 kg malted rye, 0.9 kg Ireks Pils, 0.9 kg Ireks Munich,
0.2 kg 20L crystal. (1 kg=2.2 pounds, and I am American, I just like
Metrics)
Hallertauer pellets, 3.7% AA, 12.25g for 20 min., 12.25g for 7 min.
OG=1.051, FG=1.015. Yeast=Wyeast 3068. Primed with 40 ounces of
saved wort.
The mash and souring specifics are in the above text. One last note:
a friend made a 100% Rye beer using rice hulls to set up the grain
bed. They didn't really help him much.
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 12:03:32 +0800
From: jformane at students.uiuc.edu (Joe Formanek)
Subject: BUZZ Boneyard Brewoff - July 20, 1996
Greetings!
This is the official announcement for the Second Annual BUZZ
Boneyard Brewoff, to be held July 20, 1996 at Joe's Brewery, Champaign, IL.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Joe
The Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots
Second Annual Boneyard Brew-Off
This is the official announcement of the second homebrew competition of the
Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots of Champaign, Illinois. The
competition, to be held on July 20 1996, will be a BJCP sanctioned
competition with all the standard AHA categories (except for cider and
sake). In our standard advertising packet is a list of rules, an entry
form, bottle forms and a judge registration form. We need entries, judges
and stewards!
The competition will be held at
Boneyard Brew-Off
c/o Joe's Brewery
706 S. Fifth St.
Champaign IL, 61820.
The judging will commence at 9:00am. We will need two unmarked 10 to 16 oz.
brown or green bottles, with bottle identification forms attached to each
bottle with a rubber band, a completed entry form and $5 sent to Joe's
brewery for each entry. We would appreciate entries as soon as possible
after July 6, but we will accept walk-on entries as long as they are
accompanied by the completed paperwork. Four or more entries by the same
brewer qualify for our special, low, low rate of $4 per entry.
As in our last competition, the highlight will be our special category: The
No One Gets Out Alive High Gravity Brew-Off. In this category we will judge
any beer with a gravity over 1.070 purely on the basis of drinkability and
octane. We will allow any high gravity style, but if you wish the beer to
also be judged in another category, you must separately enter it in that
category. No fortification of the beer is allowed. The winners in this
category will not be eligible for best of show.
Those who contribute their judging expertise will reap many rewards. This
includes a beer sodden tour of Joe's Brewery, a bed for the night (make a
note on the judge form if you need a place to stay) and lunch on Saturday.
For those who wish to come on Friday, we plan to have a party on Friday
night featuring the efforts of our local brewers.
For additional information, feel free to get in contact with our illustrious
leader, Joe Formanek, at
512 Dogwood
Champaign IL, 61801
jformane at students.uiuc.edu
(217) 351-7858
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Joseph A. Formanek President, Boneyard Union of
580 Bevier Hall Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ)
U of Ill--Urbana/Champaign 2nd annual Boneyard Brewoff!
(217) 244-2879 July 20, 1996 at Joe's Brewery!
Grad student, Professional and Home Brewer, BUZZ president....
What else can I get myself into?????
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 13:17:34 EST
From: "Dave Higdon" <DAVEH at qesrv1.bwi.wec.com>
Subject:
help
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 14:11:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jim Busch <busch at eosdev2.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Arfs Back, Tanned, Rested and Ready!
Im certain I should avoid getting into a stimulating pissing match
with the king of momisms but I will attempt to elucidate on some
of Arfs assertions. Briefly I hope.
Jack Schmidling <arf at maxx.mc.net> wrote:
<Is this just a "duh" or are you seriously trying to compare a 6" long,
<3/8" diameter tubular screen with a who knows how large, 1 BBL
<false bottom? i.e. $23 vs how much $300 maybe?
$50 pref sheet. Rather cost effective for my system.
<What do you mean by an adjunct?
Arf! Im suprised at you. FYI:
"Adjuncts are defined as non-malt carbohydrate materials of suitable
composition and properities which beneficially complement or supplement
the principal brewing material which is barley malt". The Practical Brewer,
page 40.
<This may take only a few seconds but
<has nothing to do with drawing off wort while stirring the mash.
<If you claim that your wort will run clear while stirring the mash, I
<certainly will not argue with you (nor would I believe you) but letting
No, Ive never suggested this approach. I recommend cutting the bed or
floating the mash. Now that I realize the manufacturer of the EM suggests
to wait 30 minutes prior to vorlauf, I will feel secure in my 10-15
minute vorlaufs with zero rest time prior to runoff. And I thought I
was missing something.
<Not sure what all that means
Arf, keep reading the digest and it will become very clear someday. ;-}
Jim Busch
copywrong Arfism of the week, day 122, year 1996 AD, Universe, Galaxy,
Solar System, Earth, North America. (scary, eh?)
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 11:25:05 -0700
From: Dean Larson <larson at chaos.cps.gonzaga.edu>
Subject: Brewer's Workshop Software
I recently downloaded the freebie version of Brewer's Workshop for Windows
off the net and am thinking of putting down the $35 to get the registered
version. I'd appreciate any comments on this package (any bugs, general
annoyances, etc.) that anyone might offer. How does it compare to other
packages? Are there other packages out there that people particularly like
or dislike? Any comments appreciated. Private e-mail welcome.
"If you see a beer, do it a favor and drink it."---M. Jackson
Dean Larson
larson at cps.gonzaga.edu
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 14:16:37 -0500
From: Russell Mast <rmast at fnbc.com>
Subject: Malt Mills (somebody stop me!)
Jake and I have an adjustable JSP MaltMill, which we bought from Al Korzonas
(before he stopped selling them, I guess). Works great. Wouldn't mind a
bigger hopper, though. Also - I wouldn't recommend getting an adjustable one.
More PITA than it's worth, IMO. (Jake may disagree.)
I've never gotten anything but a poor crush from a Corona. Maybe I didn't
have it adjusted right, but I still think they suck. (Easier than a rolling
pin, though.) My girlfriend used to drive a Toyota Corona. Great car. I
wouldn't try to crush grain with it, though. (Especially not after it died.)
Jack, I think you take criticisms of your product too personally. It makes
you look goofy, and it encourages you to use way too much bandwidth, which is
inconsiderate to everyone else who have such lovely posts they want to get
through. And it encourages me to act like an old nag, and nobody likes that.
(Except Bob and Kevin, but that's their problem.)
-Russell Mast
copyright 1996 Uwe Nettelbeck
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 96 14:17:45 -0500
From: rlabor at lsumc.edu (LaBorde, Ronald)
Subject: Jack's back
Jack tells us:
> WARNING to all! I now have local access to the internet and
> at 5 cents for unlimited time, I will probably again become a
> plague on the Mommies. I actually download the Digest now
> instead of scanning for relevant articles. Even Wall Street Barons
> need to watch our pennies.
Well, I say joy and jubilation, for the HBD has been sort of boring lately,
and this may be just what is needed to liven things up. It's been so dull
that some members have gone on and on with aimless posts about plaid shirts,
etc.
I have been a HBD cruiser for about a year now and have enjoyed and
benefitted greatly from the various articles. I have missed Jack's posts and
I am glad to see he is back on a more regular basis.
******
Flamers standby, Ignition MECO (Main Engine Cut On)...
I know that Jack just seems to get the goat of some of the posters and I
have heard some people express dismay about all of this as a waste of resources.
Not at all I say -- for here is a lesson in personality and manners (in real
time, almost) for everyone to see and evaluate.
My wife once asked me, Ron, how do you know the information you get on the
computer is accurate or true if anyone can just say whatever they want? And
I told her that you just sort of get a feel for it. True information and
facts hold up on their own, while dribble, hogwash, and bogeys have a way of
revealing themselves.
I see Jack's products proudly on display at the local homebrew shop.
I use Jack's EasyMasher (actually I made it from his plans) in my masher and
it is great.
Jack's MaltMill is probably used by some of the best homebrewers. (Ouch,
that buckshot almost got me).
I think Jack has presented the homebrew universe with a great maltmill, a
great easy mashing/sparging device, and a lot of good information here on
the HBD. What can the goats claim they have done?
MECO (Main Engines Cut Off) Flamers fuel up for launch.
******
Ron
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 96 14:07:54 CDT
From: korz at pubs.ih.att.com (Algis R Korzonas)
Subject: Jack's WARNING!/Slugbrew ;^)/TSP/starters/Corona mills/Ale temps
Jack writes:
>WARNING to all! I now have local access to the internet and
>at 5 cents for unlimited time, I will probably again become a
>plague on the Mommies.
I recommend you first let satisfied customers point out errors in your
critics' assertions. Unsolicited, unbiased testimonials are worth
a hundred of your posts and are much less taxing on the HBD. As I
said in my post which apparently did not get to you in time, advertisements
are really bad form in the HBD.
***
Steven writes:
> Being cheap, lazy, and not very smart, I have sought to develop a
>suitable method for brewing. Below is my low-tech, low-work ale brewing
>method, provided to elicit comments in the hope of improving it, and also
>to provide information that someone may find useful:
>7. Place a clear, 16" square piece of thin plexiglass on top of the
>bucket. Once or twice a day after fermentation starts, use a large,
>holey, scum-skimming spoon to skim off the, ah, scum that collects on top.
>Prior to use, rinse the spoon with hot tap water; A/R brewers may soak in
>iodophor.
Even if a brewer is not anal retentive, sanitizing anything that comes in
contact with the wort is highly recommended.
>9. Bottle. I regard the custom of sanitizing bottles as quaint, hard,
>useless, and not for me-- I gave it up two years ago. Now, I clean my
>bottles by rinsing them with tap water, and letting them drip dry on a
>bottle tree. You may have guessed this by now, but I don't sanitize or
>boil my bottle caps. I have used the above method of bottling for over
>1,500 bottles, and have experienced no problems with contamination. Do
>try this at home.
I agree... don't try this at home. That you have experienced no problems
with contamination either means that:
1. you have been blessed by God and could brew prize-winning beer from
spent laundry water,
2. you drank the beer before the contamination became obvious, or
3. you are not very sensitive to acidity and phenolic flavours/aromas and
you did not notice their presence.
> a. It's okay to bottle straight out of the primary with ales. There
>may be a bit more sediment in each bottle, but you probably won't
>notice much degradation in clarity, head retention, or flavor. My ales don't
>live long after bottling - 6 or 8 weeks is tops - so whatever ill effects
>my techniques may cause don't have time to assert themselves.
Bingo! Real ale brewers are not very anal retentive when it comes to
sanitation, but since their casks should be empty within three weeks of
brewing, infections don't have time to rise above human threshold levels.
We all brew infected beer -- we simply cannot make sterile wort in our homes.
The key is to keep the infections under control so that they don't become
noticeable. Sanitizing the spoon, bottles, racking tube and bottlecaps would
be my suggested improvements, since you asked.
***
Lenny writes:
>Subject: How do I use TSP for sanitizing?
You don't. It's not a sanitizer -- if you can get it (many communities
have outlawed phosphate-based cleaners) it's a good cleaner, but does
not sanitize. You might be able to get chlorinated TSP which would
do some sanitizing. If you can find out what the concentration of the
chlorine is in the solution, you can mix it to a level of 200 ppm of
free chlorine and use a 15 minute contact time. I doubt that you could
find the data you need to figure out how much CTSP will give you 200ppm,
though.
***
Dave writes:
>I have had recent problems with my yeast producing in my fermenter.
>It sometimes takes up to 3.5 days to get into rapid fermentation.
>Does anyone know the right mesurements of extract, water , and other
>ingredients that I will need to get a starter culture going.
I recommend 4 ounce of dried malt extract 32 fluid ounces of water,
boiled for 10 minutes, chilled to room temperature and aerated well.
If you use all-malt DME you won't need nutrients and personally, I
don't use hops in my starters.
***
Bill writes:
>The poorly thought of Corona Mill comes close to the ideal when
>properly set. 78% of the grist passes through a window screen of
>about .039" leaving the hulls whole. This is what crushing the malt is
>about, leaving the hulls whole while everything else should fit through a
>hole that is less then a 1/16". The price of a Corona Mill is about $40
>bucks and does as good a job as all the roller mills that are on the
>homebrew market. My question is why would anyone want a roller
>mill that doesn't get any higher extract from the grain, nor does it make
>any better beer ( Three of the top competition brewers in New England
>use a Corona Mill). Why pay the additional money?
I would have to see it to believe it. I've seen malt crushed with many
different Coronas and the bottom line is that either the husks are damaged
siginificantly or there are many uncrushed kernels. The Corona works by
rubbing one ridged plate against another plate and this, by itself, is
inherently problematic when trying to retain the integrity of the husks.
I know a commercial brewer that uses a motorized Corona. His pale beers
tend to have a grainy character which I don't like. On the other hand,
his dark beers are outstanding, IMO. I'm just pointing this out because
powdered husks don't present as big a problem when the pH is low (as you
would get in dark beers). You can brew prize-winning beer with a Corona,
but I personally feel that either you must sacrifice yield (crush coarsely)
or make VERY sure your pH is right on.
***
Bob writes:
>cooling. Well, it seems a weather front came through the following day
>and dropped the house temperature to the upper 60s, and the fermentor
>temperature fell to 65-68F. Since I'm using an ale yeast, is this
>harmful to the end quality. Is there a minimum temperature concern
>with ale yeasts. I have not run across anything lately. The
>fermentation rate looks steady, and I'll transfer to the secondary to
>dry hop later today.
Fermentation gives off heat itself, as we know, and the thermal intertia
of 5 gallons of wort and another three pounds of glass is pretty high so
that a 10 degree drop in a day should not be a problem for most yeasts.
If the beer had dropped clear the next day and the FG read only 50% or 60%
of the OG, then I would say warm the fermenter and pitch more yeast, but
since it kept fermenting, I would say it's probably just fine. 65-68F
is a fine (ideal, some would say) temperature range for ales. If you
usually ferment much warmer, you may be getting a lot of higher alcohols
in your beer, which for stronger beers could take a long time to mellow.
Al.
Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL
korz at pubs.att.com
Copyright 1996 Al Korzonas
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 15:38:02 -0700
From: rsbroyl at sandia.gov (Robin S. Broyles)
Subject: Temp Controller
Hi All,
For those that are interested, here is an economical freezer temp
controller I slapped together for about $40 US in less than 30 minutes
time. It has heating and cooling outputs.
for a 128K JPEG file point browser to:
http://rbpmac.sandia.gov/ServerFolder/TempControl.JPG
All standard disclaimers apply.
__ __
__/\_\ -------------------+---------------------------- /_/\__
__/\_\/_/ Robin S. Broyles | Sandia National Labs \_\/_/\__
/\_\/_/\_\ (505) 845-7649 | Dept. 9342, MS-1106 /_/\_\/_/\
\/_/\_\/_/ Internet Address: | PO Box 5800 \_\/_/\_\/
\/_/\_\ rsbroyl at sandia.gov| Albuquerque, NM 87185-1106 /_/\_\/
\/_/ -------------------+---------------------------- \_\/
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 96 18:13 EDT
From: waddell at iglou.com (Steve Waddell)
Subject: Finings in repitched yeast
Question has occured to me about finings in the secondary if you repitch
slurry from the secondary.
I use polyclar in the secondary (1 to 1.5 Tbsp). Last batch was pitched
from slurry of the previous batch's secondary. Seemed more light bodied
than previous with that recipe, but I don't yet get good repeatability.
Any thoughts? Should I skip repitching if I use polyclar? Other finings?
(or should I just skip polyclar if I repitch?)
- ---------------------------------------------------
Steve Waddell - waddell at iglou.com
It is a good thing that we don't get all the government that we pay for!
- Will Rogers
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 21:06:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: WESLEY at bnlarm.bnl.gov
Subject: notes on a homemade mill.
It has been interesting to read some of the comments regarding various features
of commercial mills and their purported effects on milling quality. I have
found in tinkering with my home made mill that playing with the spacing of the
rollers does not affect the yield much, but careful setting can dramatically
reduce the amount of flour produced.
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 20:34:09 +0000
From: David Ellis <pinncomp at onramp.net>
Subject: Job Posting
We need Web Page Designers. Html, CGL, Pearl, Java. Call
1-800-728-3600 for free information.
Return to table of contents
Date: 14 May 96 22:35:30 EDT
From: Todd Mansfield <102444.1032 at CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Grain Mills, Skewed Brains
>I wonder if Mr. Mansfield has tried brewing a variety of beers, using
>a variety of grains, using just the nominal setting on his mill?
All of the 2-row malts I crush (~8 different types over the last year)
require minimal adjustments from one type to the next. They would all
run well on my mill at the same 'nominal' setting.
Even so, I sometimes choose a clearance outside the 'nominal' range.
Sometimes for learning (i.e. how do runoff and extraction depend on
crush?) and other times because of grain. A good example is Cara-
Pils Malt (U.S. 6-row). The kernels are small and tough. I prefer a
smaller roller clearance for it. (For reasons unrelated to milling, I
rarely use this malt anymore.) As always, YMMV.
js,
Using the term "skewed brains" amounts to an ad hominem attack. It has
no place in rational discouse.
Todd Mansfield
Return to table of contents
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 21:47:17 -0600 (CST)
From: STANSBERRYJ at TEN-NASH.TEN.K12.TN.US
Subject: A simple recipe if you please.
I am new to the art of homebrewing, but I am very interested in getting
started. I have limited access to equipment, but I will try anything. If
anyone has an easy recipe for homemade beer, ale, or wine please send it to
the address below, or if anyone knows of any web links to recipes, please
let me know.
Thanks,
Newbie in Tennessee
Address: stansberryj at ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us
Return to table of contents
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 20:58:07 +0000
From: David Ellis <pinncomp at onramp.net>
Subject: Job Posting
We need Web Page Designers. Html, CGL, Pearl, Java. Call
1-888-728-3600 for free information The previous number was wrong.
This is the correct number.
Return to table of contents